I totally relate to the pressure of trying to “do it right”—I’ve spent way too much time spiraling over whether I brushed or rinsed in the right order. My dentist actually told me something similar about not rinsing right after brushing, which honestly felt weird at first. I always want to get that gritty toothpaste feeling out, but apparently leaving a bit of residue lets the fluoride work longer? Still, sometimes I just can’t stand it and do a quick swish with water anyway.
About the rinse vs. paste order, I asked at my last cleaning (because I overthink everything) and was told to brush first, spit, then use the fluoride rinse if I’m doing both. The idea is the paste cleans and coats your teeth, then the rinse gives a little extra boost, especially before bed. But I was also reassured that being consistent is way more important than obsessing over the “perfect” method. Honestly, I’m just happy if I remember to floss at night these days...
It’s nice to hear I’m not the only one who stresses about this stuff.
I totally get the urge to rinse right after brushing—leaving that toothpaste film just feels... wrong, even if it’s supposed to be good for us. My hygienist said something similar about the fluoride sticking around longer, but honestly, half the time I forget and just do my usual routine out of habit. At least you’re flossing at night; I’m still working on making that a regular thing. Consistency really does seem to matter more than all these tiny details we stress over.
Honestly, I’ve tried leaving the toothpaste on and skipping the rinse, but it just feels so weird—like my mouth’s still dirty or something. But my dentist swears by it for keeping teeth whiter and stronger. Maybe it’s just one of those “takes getting used to” things? I’m still not convinced it makes a huge difference compared to just brushing well and being consistent.
Honestly, I’ve tried leaving the toothpaste on and skipping the rinse, but it just feels so weird—like my mouth’s still dirty or something.
I totally get that. My kid’s dentist actually told us to do the same, but convincing a 7-year-old not to rinse is like herding cats. I’m curious—if you use a fluoride rinse after brushing, does that have the same effect as not rinsing off the toothpaste? Or is it just overkill? I feel like all these “rules” keep changing...
I’m curious—if you use a fluoride rinse after brushing, does that have the same effect as not rinsing off the toothpaste? Or is it just overkill?
I’ve wondered about this exact thing. My dentist gave me a whole spiel about “spit, don’t rinse” after brushing, and honestly, it made me super anxious because it felt like if I did it wrong, my teeth would just fall apart or something. I tried not rinsing a few times, but yeah... it feels gross and kind of sticky. Like you said, my mouth doesn’t feel clean at all.
I asked my hygienist about the fluoride rinse too, because I figured maybe that would be a good compromise. She told me the main idea is to let the fluoride sit on your teeth for as long as possible, so using a rinse right after brushing (without rinsing with water first) can help, but you’re supposed to avoid eating or drinking for at least 30 minutes either way. She did say using both toothpaste and a rinse isn’t really “overkill,” but more like extra insurance if you’re at higher risk for cavities. For regular folks, she said just picking one method and sticking to it is fine.
Honestly, I still get nervous that I’m doing it wrong. Sometimes I’ll brush and spit without rinsing, but other nights when my anxiety’s high or my mouth just feels icky, I give in and rinse anyway. Not sure if that’s actually making a huge difference or not. It’s kind of wild how these recommendations keep changing... when I was a kid, nobody ever mentioned any of this stuff.
Convincing kids not to rinse sounds impossible, by the way—I can barely convince myself! The only thing that helped me was switching to milder toothpaste so it didn’t leave such a strong aftertaste. Still feels weird though.
At this point I just hope doing most of it right most of the time is good enough.
